Government

Michigan on Wednesday reported its biggest increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases in nearly two months, leading Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to say she may be forced to reimpose some restrictions if the upward trajectory holds. Whitmer again pleaded with people to wear face coverings in public. Michigan State men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo, women’s coach Suzy Merchant and University of Michigan …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday extended Michigan’s coronavirus emergency declaration through Aug. 11, five months after she first issued it, pointing to an uptick in new cases over the past three weeks. The move, which was expected, allows the Democratic governor to keep in place various orders designed to curb the virus, including certain business closures, limits on gatherings, a mask requirement …

Larry Walton (R), a candidate for the Michigan House of Representatives in the 59th District, has received the “Friend of Agriculture” designation and endorsement from Michigan Farm Bureau’s AgriPac for the Aug. 4 primary election. “It’s an honor to receive the endorsement from AgriPac,” Walton said. “As a member of the St. Joseph County Farm Bureau, this recognition is one not taken lightly. …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday toughened a requirement to wear masks during the coronavirus pandemic, mandating that businesses open to the public deny service or entry to customers who refuse to wear one. The governor also expanded where people must have a face covering beyond indoor public spaces. Starting immediately, they have to wear one outdoors if they cannot consistently …

The state Attorney General’s Office has agreed to handle the prosecution of any crimes stemming from a large party on a Cass County lake in which hundreds of people ignored state orders to wear masks or socially distance. The Cass County Prosecutor’s Office asked the Attorney General’s Office to appoint a special prosecutor after a viral video showed hundreds of …

Michigan health workers must receive “implicit bias” training tied to their professional licensure under a directive issued Thursday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who said the mandate will help address the coronavirus pandemic’s disproportionate and deadly impact on people of color. The Democratic governor also said she would soon announce steps to ensure compliance with Michigan’s mask-wearing requirement in indoor public …

Michigan’s confirmed COVID-19 deaths have surpassed 6,000, the state health department said Tuesday. The state said there have been 6,005 deaths and another 246 that are probable. Michigan reported 30 new deaths Tuesday, although 20 were confirmed through a records review and could have occurred weeks ago. Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties and Detroit account for 75% of Michigan’s deaths. …

A man was fatally struck by a boat while swimming in a western Michigan lake over the weekend, police said. The man was hit Sunday afternoon on Gull Lake near Kalamazoo. The man was brought to shore for lifesaving measures but was pronounced dead from his injuries at the scene, according to the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office. The boat operator …

A toll road maintenance worker has died after being struck by an SUV in northern Indiana. Ronald Smith, age 61, was in front of his truck about 1:50 p.m. Thursday sweeping debris from the right shoulder of the toll road in St. Joseph County when the SUV sideswiped the truck and hit him, according to state police. The SUV then …

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday said she was closing indoor seating in bars in parts of the state, including a city with a bar that has been linked to a rising number of infections. Whitmer also signed a bill allowing bars and restaurants to sell to-go cocktails in an effort to help those businesses. Bars won’t have to close …